Through participation in the Educate! Experience, Peace was motivated to become a leader in her school and beyond - building confidence and becoming a fierce advocate for gender equity. We know that educated and empowered girls, like Peace, create more equitable societies. From shaping policies to providing learning materials that combat traditional gender norms, Educate! is committed to implementing a gender-transformative approach.

Kenyan single mother of three, Rose, is one of millions of young women in Africa in danger of being left behind because they don’t complete secondary education. Through Educate!, she is now thriving as the owner of a second-hand clothing stall. Rose was empowered through SkillUp, Educate!’s innovative, cost-effective bootcamp that combines skills training, practical experience, and individualized support over six weeks in Kenya.

As a budding and ambitious entrepreneur, you can hear the energy in Sheila’s voice as she talks about her growing business, young family, and eagerness to support women in her community. But as she recounts her journey, Sheila’s tone changes. Her path to get to where she is today hasn’t been easy.

From a young age, movies and television shows intrigued Deborah. She took a keen interest in the art form and was eager to learn how directors and producers made films. Deborah could see the power of great visual storytelling — its ability to evoke emotion, make you nostalgic, and even push you to take action.

Promoting gender equity is core to Educate!’s mission. For over ten years, we’ve implemented an evidence-based gender equity and inclusivity strategy within our in-school model, with real and measurable results. Our current challenge is learning about how our distance learning model supports and uplifts girls, and where we can improve its gender equity outcomes.

Over the last ten years, we’ve been moved by the extraordinary ways our female students have broken down gender barriers and taken action to enact positive change. From young entrepreneurs and innovators to scientists, educators, and activists, Educate!’s female graduates have gone on to be changemakers in their communities.

Women are on the front lines of the coronavirus outbreak, both in the workplace and at home. In order to keep girls learning during this time, Educate! has set out to deliver components of the student experience digitally in order to ensure that girls maintain a connection with their education while gaining critical hard and soft skills to be resilient throughout this unprecedented crisis.

As we all learn to adjust to the challenges caused by COVID-19, we continue to be inspired and encouraged by our students, who have overcome difficult challenges to become young leaders, entrepreneurs, mentors, and role models in their communities. One student who has particularly inspired us is Irene Kisakye, one of Educate!’s first Scholars and superstars in Uganda.

For nearly eighteen years the insurgence of the Lord's Resistance Army in Northern Uganda incited violence. Today, the region still grapples with high rates of poverty, low primary and secondary school enrollment rates, and underdeveloped infrastructure. In spite of this, young people in Northern Uganda and young women in particular –  like Educate! Mentor Fiona – have been driving progress and acting as agents of positive change for their communities. 

Flipping through the pages of a newspaper one morning, Adeline, a Rwandan secondary student, came across a story which instantly captivated her. The article profiled Esther Mbabazi, the first woman in Rwanda to be certified as a commercial airline pilot. Deeply inspired by Esther’s journey, Adeline soon set her sights on flight school. “Why can’t I be the second?” she wondered.

Standing in the shade on the side of her grandmother’s house near Jinja, Uganda, Sarah flips through the collection of brightly colored kitenge fabric that she will soon shape into dresses, purses, and shirts. Proudly, she holds up each of her tailored pieces, grinning as she describes the intricate designs and how her ability to speak Kiswahili landed her a good deal with a fabric supplier in Tanzania. But Sarah’s path to get to where she is today — a confident young entrepreneur and provider for her family — has not been an easy one.

Launching their small business has provided Rwandan secondary students Fausta and Emelyne the opportunity to practice essential hard and soft skills that will better prepare them for success after graduation. These skills, the girls say, have helped them build their self-confidence, while expanding their view of what’s possible.

What barriers still exist for girls’ education in Uganda? This is the critical question that Hawah Nabbuye, Educate!’s Deputy Country Director in Uganda, is seeking to answer this year as part of the Echidna Global Scholars Program, a visiting fellowship hosted by the Center for Universal Education (CUE) at the Brookings Institution.

Empowered, ambitious, and brave, Educate! graduate Abigail Chepkwurui is making waves for gender equity and driving change in her community. “I have to become a Member of Parliament.” For Abigail Chepkwurui, a twenty-year-old Educate! Graduate from Eastern Uganda, this is a goal she’s been actively working toward since before joining Educate!. “I’ll campaign for 2026.”